A Study On Superstition In Managers’ Decision Making And Influence Factors

As an irrational belief different with traditional management concepts,superstition is a common phenomenon in the managers’ decision making. We explore the influence factors when managers use superstition in business decision making. On the basis of the literature review, we combine some cases to study the relationship between the managers’ attitude toward superstitions,the influence factors when managers use superstition in business decision making and the managers’ action of using superstitions. Then we extracted some key variables from the case study to do empirical research. Using a sample of senior managers in China,we test the hypotheses by data analysis. The valuable results we got were as followed:(1) In the case study, we investigate some private entrepreneurs in Guangdong, because they experienced the process of entrepreneurship. Through case studies and multiple case analysis,we classified the attitude toward superstitions into active learning and passive acceptance. And then we analysis the influence factors that lead to the two different attitudes, the results show that :1. The lower the level of decision-makers’ core self-evaluations, the more intense he needs to seek psychological comfort, so he is more likely to hold active learning attitude toward superstitions and is more likely to use superstitions in business decision making; 2. Promotional orientation or preventional orientation influence managers’ attitude toward superstitions; 3. Uncertainty and incomplete of information is more likely to lead to active learning attitude and using superstitions in business decision making; 4. Chinese traditional culture and religion are important factors of passive acceptance attitude toward superstitions; 5. Peer pressure is an important factor of passive acceptance attitude toward superstitions to achieve coordination and balance; 6. Active learning attitude and passive acceptance attitude can transform into each other under certain conditions; 7. The influence of active learning attitude to managers’ superstitious tendency is greater than that of passive acceptance attitude.(2) The results of empirical research show that core self-evaluation is negatively related to managers’ attitude toward superstitions whilst promotional orientation is positive;managers are more likely to use superstitions in business decision making when their attitude toward superstitions are more positive. Through hypothesis testing, we examine the relationship between the variables presented in the part of case study, and understand who are more likely to use superstitions in business decision making,and explore the influence of this attitude to the use of superstitions in business decision making.